The Alhambra Palace
The Alhambra Palace, Granada
The Alhambra Palace was one of the greatest architectural wonders of the world when it was created in the 13th and 14th centuries and remains so today.
It was the last and most splendid of all the Arabian palaces to be built in Spain during 700 years of Moorish domination. The Moors were vastly superior to their European enemies in all areas of culture and the Alhambra Palace became a glorious symbol of not only their wealth and power but also their unsurpassable artistic and architectural skills.
The palace was constructed as both a fortress and royal residence for the sultans after the Christians recaptured Cordoba, which was the former capital of the mighty Western Islamic empire known as El Andalus.
From the mid-1200s onwards, the Moorish Nasrid Dynasty set about establishing a citadel and palace the like of which the world had never seen before. On the hilltop site of an existing 10th century Arab fortress, the sultans brought together their empire's greatest minds and most talented craftsmen to fashion an exotic array of exquisitely decorated palaces and courtyards within the walls of a castle designed to withstand the might of the Christian armies.
Visit the Alhambra today and you'll still find a mesmerizing mixture of the most intricate tile work, filigree decoration and mosaics within its royal rooms and shaded courtyards. A sensual blend of bubbling fountains, dark green pools, white marble floors and enchanting passage ways draw you back through the centuries to a time and place where sultans once ruled and relaxed on silken cushions while naked beauties danced for them (accompanied by blind musicians!)
Jewels in the crown of the Alhambra include the legendary Court of the Lions with its famous fountain, the Hall of the Kings and Hall of the Queens, the royal baths and the magnificent Hall of the Two Sisters lavishly decorated with gold and lapis lazuli.
In July and August, the Alhambra Palace is the main venue for the
The Alhambra Palace was one of the greatest architectural wonders of the world when it was created in the 13th and 14th centuries and remains so today.
It was the last and most splendid of all the Arabian palaces to be built in Spain during 700 years of Moorish domination. The Moors were vastly superior to their European enemies in all areas of culture and the Alhambra Palace became a glorious symbol of not only their wealth and power but also their unsurpassable artistic and architectural skills.
The palace was constructed as both a fortress and royal residence for the sultans after the Christians recaptured Cordoba, which was the former capital of the mighty Western Islamic empire known as El Andalus.
From the mid-1200s onwards, the Moorish Nasrid Dynasty set about establishing a citadel and palace the like of which the world had never seen before. On the hilltop site of an existing 10th century Arab fortress, the sultans brought together their empire's greatest minds and most talented craftsmen to fashion an exotic array of exquisitely decorated palaces and courtyards within the walls of a castle designed to withstand the might of the Christian armies.
Visit the Alhambra today and you'll still find a mesmerizing mixture of the most intricate tile work, filigree decoration and mosaics within its royal rooms and shaded courtyards. A sensual blend of bubbling fountains, dark green pools, white marble floors and enchanting passage ways draw you back through the centuries to a time and place where sultans once ruled and relaxed on silken cushions while naked beauties danced for them (accompanied by blind musicians!)
Jewels in the crown of the Alhambra include the legendary Court of the Lions with its famous fountain, the Hall of the Kings and Hall of the Queens, the royal baths and the magnificent Hall of the Two Sisters lavishly decorated with gold and lapis lazuli.
In July and August, the Alhambra Palace is the main venue for the